Low height suction cleaner arrangement



1956 N. W. LA BRIERE LOW HEIGHT SUCTION CLEANER ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1951 mmvroga. jl i-sz'son ZZflamare :1 u F 1956 W, L BWERE 31M411) LOW HEIGHT SUCTION CLEANER ARRANGEMENT Filed May 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

IN VEN TOR.

jl elson M lalanie/ e United States Patent LOW HEIGHT SUCTION CLEANER ARRANGEMENT Nelson W. La Brier-e, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 5, 1951, Serial No. 224,768

11 Claims. (Cl. 15-624) It is a principal object of my invention to provide a suction cleaning device which is characterized by extreme low height and a desirable arrangement of the components thereof.

It is an object of my invention to provide a suction cleaning apparatus in which the maximum vertical height of the cleaner is determined by the minimum dimension of the drive motor therefor.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a suction cleaning apparatus of the type having a motor driven agitator in which a very small, high speed electrical motor is mounted with its axis parallel to the axis of the agitator and is arranged to drive the agitator and suction fan by belts in the air passageway from the suction nozzle to the fan inlet.

it is a further object of my invention to provide a suction cleaning apparatus of the above described character in which various parts thereof are positioned principally to one side of the longitudinal center line of the machine with the parts arranged to achieve an overall balance of the mechanism.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a suction cleaner of the type having a rotary surface cleaning agitating device in which the drive motor for the machine is so arranged that a very high rotational speed reduction between the motor and the rotary agitator can be achieved by means of a single belt without producing excessive agitator rotational speed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a sectional elevational view of a suction cleaning apparatus embodying my invention taken along the line 1-1 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1 with certain parts broken away to show underlying constructions; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a bottom closure plate embodied in the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, my invention is embodied in a cleaner having a main frame 1, which may be a casting. The main frame 1 comprises an extensive slightly curved top wall portion 2 curved sharply downwardly at its front to form a front wall 3 and at its sides and rear to form side and rear walls 4, 5 and 6 respectively. In general, the frame 1 is roughly in the form of a trapezoid, in plan view, having curved corners and a surrounding flange consisting of the side walls 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Depending walls 7 and 8 extend parallel to the front wall 3 of the main frame and define a nozzle chamber 9 therewith. The walls 7 and 8 terminate short of a junction to the right of the longitudinal center line of the machine, as viewed in Figure 2, where they join rearwardly extending walls 19 and 11 respectively which extend rearwardly in spaced relation at a slight angle to the longitudinal center line of the machine to define side walls of an air passageway communicating with the nozzle chamber 9.

arsarse IICQ A wall 13 depends from the top wall 2 of the main frame and joins the wall 8 in right angular relationship. The wall 13 in turn joins a wall 14 depending from the top wall 2 of the main frame at right angles to form a motor chamber defined by portions of the walls 8 and 11 and the walls 13 and 14.

Downwardly facing motor bearing seats 15 and 16 are provided in aligned relationship on the walls 11 and 13 for receiving motor bearings 17 which are held firmly in the seats 15 and 16 by means of bearing retainer caps 18 secured by studs 19 to the seats 15 and 16. The bearing structure 17 rotatably supports a motor shaft 20 upon which is mounted the commutator 21 and armature 22 of an electric motor structure. The motor brushes 23 are supported in suitable housings 24 attached in any desired manner to the walls of the motor chamber. The motor field structure 25 is of the U-shaped type having a single energizing coil 26 about the bight portion of the field iron. The top portion of the field structure 25 projects upwardly through an opening 25a formed in the top wall 2 of the main frame. The field structure 25 is positioned with the field coil 26 rearwardly of the armature 22 which is embraced by the arms of the field structure. Brackets 27 are secured to the field structure by bolts and. washers 28 and to the top wall 2 of the main frame by studs 29 to retain the field in operative position on the frame 1. The motor shaft 20 extends through a slot 30 in the wall 11 into the space between the walls 10 and 11. The portion of the motor shaft projecting into the space between the walls 10 and 11 is provided with a fiat section 32 forming a very small diameter pulley for a fiat rubber belt 33 which drives a rotary surface brushing and agitating member 34 pivotally supported in the nozzle chamber 9 in a known manner. Outwardly of the pulley section. 32, the shaft 20 carries a small V-type pulley 35 which drives a round rubber belt 36 for driving a suction air fan to be described hereinafter.

The fan casing and fan structure is a complete separate sub-assembly comprising a volute shaped casing 40 having a peripheral flange 41 forming the side wall of the fan casing and terminating in a curved upwardly facing discharge elbow 42 which is rectangular in cross-section. The casing 40 has a central opening 43 forming an inlet port or fan eye. The casing is closed by a top plate 44 suitably secured to the casing 40 by any desired means.

" The top plate 44 is provided with a sleeve 46 aligned with the opening 43 and extending inwardly of the casing 40.

A bearing retainer 43 is mounted in the sleeve 46 and has an outer flange engaging the outer face of the plate 44 and supporting a guide bearing structure 45. A ball bearing 47 is seated in the bottom of the retainer 48 on an inturned flange on the retainer. A fan shaft 49 is mounted in the bearings and 47 and projects through the opening 43. A centrifugal suction air fan 50 is mounted on the projecting end of the shaft 49. The fan 50 has a curved back plate, which is characteristic of a known fan construction, and blades which lie principally within the space formed by the casing 40 and the top plate 44. The projecting end of the shaft 49 carries a pulley 52 about which the drive belt 36 is engaged so as to drive the fan from the electric motor.

The fan case 40 is provided with a plurality of projecting ears 53 which are secured by studs to pillars 54 formed integrally with the top wall 2 of the main frame and depending therefrom to mount the fan and its casing structure rigidly on the main frame. The back wall 6 of the main frame is interrupted at the center to permit passage of the discharge elbow 42. As shown most clearly in Figure 2, the center line of the fan 50 is offset to the right of the longitudinal center line of the machine but the discharge portion of the volute 42 is centered on the fore and 3 aft center line of the cleaner so as to permit central location of the filter.

As shown most clearly in Figure 1, the shaft 49 is inclined to the vertical to raise the front or leading edge of the fan casing 40 and to depress the rear portion 42 of the fan housing. The front portion of the fan casing 40 projects through a trapezoidal opening 56 formed in the top Wall 2 of the main frame to accommodate the fan housing structure. The upper bearing 45 on the fan housing structure projec'ts through a suitable opening 57 formed in the wall 2.

The walls 10 and 11 extend rearwardly from the walls 7 and 8 respectively to a point adjacent the fan housing structure 40 where they abut complementary Wall sec tions' 58 which are generally triangularly shaped extending along the underside of the housing 40 from a point at the approximate transverse center line thereof. The walls 1'0 and 11 are angula'rly cut as indicated at 59 from their junction with the walls "58 to the plane of the lower ends of the walls 7 and 8. I V

A plate 60 closes the top portion of the space defined by the walls 58, 10, 1'1 and the casing 40. The plate 60 is secured to the casing 40 by studs '61 and to the.

topwall 2 of the main frame by studs 62. This member is :fifted against the walls 10, 11 and 58 With an air seal to prevent leakage past its edges. The bolted ends ot the plate 60 also engage the casing 40 and the top of the main frame in air sealed relation.

The -open bottom portions of the cleaner are closed by a bottom .plate indicated generally at 70 which comprises a front 'section defining a nozzle opening 71 by front, rear and side nozzle lip forming portions 72 which abut the lower edges of the walls 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 and extend across the 'gap between the walls 7 and 8. The bottom plate 70 is provided with a shallow peripheral flange 73 which engages the front edge of the bottom of the wall 3, those portions of side walls 4 and forming the side walls of the nozzle opening, the wall 7, that portion of the wall 8 positioned to the left of the wall 13, as viewed in Figure 2, and the walls 13 and 14. Thus the bottom plate forms a bottom closure for the motor housmg. The bottom plate is provided with a wall 74 having an alrigularly cut leading edge 75 from which a tongue 76 projects. In the assembled position of the apparatus shown inFigu'r'es 1 and 2, the angularly cut edge 75 of "thewall 74 engages the angula'rly cut portion 59 of the wall 11 and the tongue 76 extends into the slot 30 to form a closure 'for the same. The upper horizontal edge of the wall 74 engages the lower edge of the wall Onthe other side of the passage formed by walls 1'0 and 11, that is, the right side as viewed in "Figure 2, thepla'te 70 is provided with a wall 77 having an angu- IarIy cut leading edge 78 which engages the angularly cut leading edge of the wall and the bottom portion of the Wall 58 on the casing 40, which abuts the wall 10. The wall sections 74 and 77 of the plate '70 are joined by a rearwardly projecting half-round portion 79 which extends around the rear portion of the opening 43in thecasin'g 40 and lies flush against that casing. The plate 70 is also provided with a wall section 80 which, in the assembled position of the apparatus, abuts the'lower face of the casing 40 and the edge of the Wall 14, which terminates just short of the casing 40, to close up the upper right hand corner of the motor housing, as the same is viewed in Figure 2. It is apparent from the foregoing that the bottom plate 70 provides a means for defining the nozzle lips, for

closing the bottom of the nozzle housing, for closing the bottom portion of the motor housing and for closing thebottom and portions of the side walls of the air duct extending from the suction air chamber 9 to the fan eye 43. The .plate 71) is secured to the front wall 3 of the apparatus by small studs 81 extending through openings 82 formed in the front portion of the flange 73. The rear section "79 of the closure plate 70 is provided with of assembly and extreme "low height. I height of the machine is largely determined by the transa projecting tongue 83 which is adapted to be engaged by a releasable spring latch 84 of a known type secured to the underside of the casing 40. Removal of the element exposes the mounting structure for the agitator 34, the belting and air duct and opens up the motor chamber so that all mechanical portions of the apparatus are then readily accessible for servicing, adjustment, repair, replacement and the like.

The front portion of the machine is supported by wide tread wheels 85 positioned just rearwardly of the nozzle adjacent opposite ends thereof and outside the confines of the air duct and motor housing. The wheels 85am mounted on stub-shafts 86 which are mounted in the side walls 4 and 5 of the main frame.

The top portion of the casing 1 rearwardly of the nozzle is covered by a shallow hood member, which may be of metal or plastic as desired, indicated generally by the reference character 87. The member 37 is provided with a downwardly extending peripheral flange 88 which engages in a suitable channel 89 in the top wall 2 of the main casing. At the front of the machine, over the air duct formed by the walls 10 and 11, the hood 87 is provided with a transparent light transmitting member 90. The hood 87 carries a lamp supporting socket member 91 on its underside projecting through an opening '92 in the wall 2. A dirt finder lamp 93 is supported by the member 91 in a position to direct light rays through the transparent member for illuminating the surface ahead of the cleaner. It is apparent from Figure 1 that the lamp 93 overlies the plate 60 and is positioned to one side of the motor structure and extends below the highest portions of the motor structure. The hood 37 is provided with bosses 95 which receive securing studs 96 extending through the top wall 2 of the main frame. The foregoing construction permits maximum use of the vertical height of the machine in that the lamp is positioned to one side of and extends below the highest portions of the motor and suction fan structure. The lamp actually 'lies above and slightly forwardly of the pulley section which is a portion of the cleaner providing ample space to receive the same without requiring a significant increase "in the overall vertical height of the apparatus.

The rear end of the cleaner is provided with projecting lugs '98 which carry rear supporting wheels 99.

The exhaust elbow 42 receives a flexible rubber bellows 100 which is attached to an adapter element 101 which receives a filter, preferably paper, 102. A clamp structureindicated at 103 is carried by the adapter and serves to secure the filter thereto in air-tight relation. The adapter member 101 is provided with a pair of projecting ears 104 on opposite sides of the bellows 1G0 and centered with respect thereto. The adapter ears 104 are secured to studs "105 by lock nuts 106. The studs 105 are pivotally supported in supporting lugs 107 projecting rear- Wardly from the frame 1 and are rigidly secured at their "outer ends to wing members 108 carried by the lower end of a cleaner propelling handle not shown. The wing members 108 are cross-connected by a plate 109 which of all pivoting stresses, and the bellows 1G0 provide a flexible'connection between the exhaust elbow 42 of the cleaner and the handle filter assembly.

The present construction is characterized by great ease The maximum verse "dimension of the .motor field stack which, in the present instance, permits a maximum machine height in the neighborhood of three and one-half inches. This is a maximum height which is approximately sixty percent of the vertical extent of conventional constructions. The apparatus, constructed according to the present invention, is also characterized by great ease of assembly and repair. The suction unit is a complete sub-assembly which is united with the main frame by means of three mounting studs. The motor structure is attached directly to the main frame in bearing seats provided therefor. A single bottom plate member forms the nozzle lips, closes the air duct and forms the closure plate for the belting and motor chambers. The dirt finder lamp is carried by a top cover plate which is readily removable from the main frame to give access to the lamp for repair and replacement. The off-center arrangement of the drive motor and suction air fan provide ample room for the belting structure and dirt finder lamp to one side of and below the top portion of these two elements. Additionally, the fan discharge is a normal volute terminating on the center line of the machine and does not require undesirable bends in a horizontal plane in order to provide for adequate exhaust passageway. The motor and fan structures lie partly on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the machine and these elements serve to balance each other to produce an even distribution of net weight on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the machine. In the present construction, the axis of rotation of the drive motor is parallel to the agitator axis of rotation which permits the use of a flat belt drive between these two elements. A flat belt drive is desirable at this point because it permits a greater drive ratio between the motor and agitator than is feasible with round belts such as that used between the motor and fan. The round belt between the motor and fan is desirable because such belts readily operate between pulleys rotating on angularly related axes and the speed ratio between these two elements does not raise a problem of pulley size because a high rotational fan speed is desirable. By providing a very high ratio of rotational speed between the motor and agitator, the motor size and weight can be reduced without sacrificing power or performance.

While the invention has been illustrated and described herein in detail, it is not to be limited thereto but various changes may be made in the construction, design and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Suction cleaning apparatus comprising; a frame member including means defining an open bottom suction air nozzle across the front thereof and an open bottom air duct extending rearwardly from said nozzle; a suction producing unit including a fan and a casing enclosing said fan having an air inlet portion, a projecting air exhaust portion, and a fan shaft supporting said fan having a portion projecting through said air inlet and hearings on said casing rotatably supporting said shaft; means securing said suction unit to said frame with the air inlet portion thereof facing downwardly and said air exhaust portion extending rearwardly of sald frame, a surface cleaning member rotatably mounted in said nozzle, means on said frame defining an open bottom motor chamber positioned rearwardly of said nozzle and laterally of said air duct, a drive motor mounted in said motor chamber and having a shaft parallel to said agitator extending into said air duct, said suction producing unit having means cooperating with said air duct forming means to extend said open bottom air duct to the air inlet portion of said suction producing unit, a bottom plate on said frame closing the open bottom of said air duct and said motor chamber, and belting in said air duct drivingly connecting said motor shaft to said fan shaft and said surface cleaning member.

2. Suction cleaning apparatus comprising, a frame member having a depending front wall, wall members depending from said frame to define a nozzle chamber with said front wall and an air duct extending rearwardly from said nozzle chamber, depending wall members on said frame cooperating with one of said nozzle and air duct defining wall members to define a motor chamber, a fan chamber having an exhaust extending rearwardly of said frame and an inlet port facing downwardly, means securing said fan chamber to said frame, a suction air fan rotatably mounted in said fan casing and having a drive shaft projecting through said air inlet, a surface cleaning device rotatably mounted in said nozzle chamber, a drive motor mounted in said motor chamber and having a drive shaft extending in parallel relation to said nozzle into said air duct between said nozzle and said fan shaft, a bottom closure plate removably secured to said fan casing and said frame, members on said fan casing and said plate cooperating with said air duct forming Wall members to define a closed air duct from said nozzle to said air inlet port, and belting in said air duct drivingly connecting said motor shaft to said fan shaft and said surface cleaning device.

3. in a suction cleaner; a frame including a top wall and a plurality of wall members depending from said top wall defining a nozzle chamber communicating with a rearwardly extending air duct and a motor chamber positioned rearwardly of said nozzle chamber on one side of said air duct; a fan casing having an air inlet port and an exhaust port extending rearwardly of said frame, a suction air fan in said fan casing having a shaft extending through said air inlet port, bearings carried by said casing and rotatably supporting said shaft, a motor in said motor chamber having a drive shaft extending parallel to said nozzle chamber and into said air duct, a rotary surface agitating device mounted in said nozzle chamber, belting drivingly connecting said agitating device and said fan shaft to motor shaft, means mounting said fan chamber on said frame plate, a bottom plate member enclosing the bottom of said motor chamber and having a portion abutting the lower ends of those wall members forming said nozzle chamber and defining a suction air inlet nozzle, and cooperating parts on said bottom plate and said fan casing extending said air duct around said belting to said air inlet port and enclosing the bottom portion of said air inlet.

4. In a suction cleaner, a frame including a top wall and a plurality of depending wall members defining an open bottom nozzle chamber across the front of said frame and an open bottom motor chamber rearwardly of said nozzle chamber, a fan casing secured to said frame having a downwardly facing air inlet port and 1a rearwardly extending exhaust duct, a suction air fan rotatably mounted in said casing, a drive motor mounted on said frame in said motor chamber having a drive shaft extending parallel to said nozzle chamber and extending outside said motor chamber, a rotary surface agitating device mounted in said nozzle chamber, said fan having a shaft projecting through said air inlet port, belting drivingly connecting said motor shaft to said agitating device and said fan shaft, a bottom plate engaging the lower ends of said depending wall members to close said motor chamber and having a suction air inlet nozzle opening into said nozzle chamber, and cooperating parts on said bottom plate and said fan casing and said frame forming an enclosed air duct extending rom said nozzle chamber around said belting and said shafts to said fan casing air inlet port.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said motor chamber has its center line transverse to said motor shaft offset to one side of the front to rear center line of said frame, the front to rear center line of said fan casing is offset to the other side of the front to rear center line of said frame, and said air duct is positioned laterally of said motor and below the top portion thereof.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said motor and said fan casing are laterally displaced and have their highest portions substantially co-planar, and said air duct is positioned laterally of said motor and below the top portion thereof.

7. In a suction cleaner, a frame including a top wall,

means on said top wall forming a nozzle chamber across the front thereof, a rotary surface agitating device mounted in said nozzle chamber, a motor mounted on said frame rearwardly of said nozzle chamber having a drive shaft extending parallel to said nozzle chamber, a suction fan 1 supported on the underside of said top Wall rearwardly of said motor and having a downwardly extending drive shaft, drive 'belts extending forwardly and rearwardly from said motor shaft providing driving connections between said motor shaft and said agitating device and said fan shaft, and means forming an air duct from said nozzle chamber to said fan around said drive belts.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in which said motor includes a field structure having a winding portion posit'ioned rearwardly of said shaft and a core structure projecting through an opening in said top wall, and said air duct is positioned laterally of said motor and below the projecting portion thereof, a hood overlying said top wall and the projecting portion of said motor, and means forming a larnp chamber above said air duct and beneath said hood and laterally of said motor.

9. In a suction cleaner, a frame, means on said frame forming a nozzle chamber across the front thereof, a rotary surface agitating device mounted in said nozzle, an electric motor on said frame rearwardly of said nozzle chamber having a shaft extending parallel to said cleaning device and a single coil field structure with the coil extending rearwardly and lying below said frame, a fan casing carried on the underside of said frame laterally of said motor and having its highest portion substantially coplanar with the highest portion of said motor, a fan rotatably mounted in said casing and having a downwardly projecting drive shaft rearwardly of said motor shaft, belting drivingly connecting said fan shaft and said agitating device to said motor shaft, and means forming an air duct from said nozzle chamber to said fan around said belting and onone side of said motor. 7 a

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 including means on said frame forming an open bottom motor casing and said air duct forming means includes a "removable plate having a portion closing the open bottom of said motor 'CzlSlilg.

ll. Apparatus according-to claim 9 in which said motor is ofiset to one side of the longitudinal center line of said frame, said 'fan casing is offset to the other side of the longitudinal center line of said frame and has a discharge duct on the longitudinal center line of said frame plate, and means forming a lamp chamber above said air duct extending below the top portions of said motor and said fan casintz.

References Cited in the fi1e of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

